Vending machines



April 25, 1961 s. wATLlNGToN VENDING MACHINES Filed Nov. s. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. EE .Lf .MTNA/670W BY M V /f/s A rra/i A/Eys April 25, 1961 L. s. wATLlNGToN 2,981,441

VENDING MACHINES Filed Nov. 3, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. EE 5.' Mn mera/v BY mmf tion upon each other.

Patented Apr. 25.1961

VENDING MACHINES Lee Watlington, 1204 N. Linden St., Bloomington, Ill. Filed Nov. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 771,371 z Claims. (ci. azi- 67) My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in vending machines especially adapted for Vending bottled non-carbonated drinks.

One of the principal objects of my invention is the provision of unique and improved means for vending successively a bottled drink from the vending machine using the weight of the bottle to actuate the bottle ejector rack after the same has been released for operation.

Yet another and equally important object of the invention resides in the novel and improved means for releasing the bottle ejector rack for actuation of the latter by the weight of a bottle.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a bottle vending machine having a'capacity for vending successively a large number of bottles.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction and in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of the invention showing the mechanism in bottle vending position;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational View of the same;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 but showing the ejector rack releasing mechanism in non-bottle vending position; and

y Fig. 5 is a plan view ysimilar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts thereof in diierent positions.

The various objects of my invention are preferably accomplished by the preferred form of construction vshown in the accompanying drawings and 4which will'now be described. i l

:In such drawings, I have shown only so 'much of the vending machine as is necessary for an understanding of my invention. It is to be understood that the construction and design :of the cabinetzenclosingthe mechanisml may be such v,as ,willbest servethe purpose. Alsol it is intended and desirable that .therebe associated with the mechanism, coin-control means which willpermit the operation of the mechanism, upon the deposit of a proper coin. Such mechanism is ,not includedV inthe drawings for the reason that it 'constitutes no part ofthe present invention. v Y i With the foregoing in mind, a Abottle containing mechanism 1t) `is provided within which a plurality of bottles llfcontain a non-carbonated drink or the like isarranged in stack form with the bottles extending with their long axis in a horizontal plane and resting in staggered rela- The magazine has an open bottom 12. To the bottom portion of the magazine 10 and below the region of the open end portion 12 is an ejector rack 13. This ejector rack 13 is in plan Vview and is substantially the Jsame size as is the bottle magazine 10 in plan View. Such ejector rack 13 Yhas its `opposite magazine 10. When the bottles are conned in the ejector rack 13, they will be likewise in staggered relation with respect to each other as shown at 17 and 18 with the lowermost bottle indicated at 19 resting upon separator bar 20. In such relationship the ejector rack will be tilted With respect to the bar 20 as shown in Fig. 2. By such arrangement, a bottle will be ejected from either side of the bar 20 depending upon the position of the ejector rack 13. As shown in Fig. 3, the bottle indicated at 21 is being ejected from the right hand side of the bar 20 as viewed in Fig. 3. The separator bar 20 is secured to an element 22 of the construction of the vending machine.

The mechanism for controlling the oscillatory pivotal movement of the ejector rack 13 by the action of the weight of the bottle, comprises a base plate 23 supported as at 24 from the element 22 of the machine.

Secured in any suitable manner to the inner end portion of the base plate 23 is a guide channel 25 comprising-parallel llanges 26 and 26 and a bottom wall 27.

Slidable upon this guide channel 25 in transverse direction with respect to the base plate is a latch plate 28. Secured to this latch plate 28 as 'at 29 is a bar 30 having a depending flange 31. This ilange 31 is pivotally connected to the front wall 32 of the ejector rack 13` by means of a pin 33.

The flange 26 has formed therein in spaced relation with respect to each other, notches 34 which register under certain conditions with notches 35 formed in the adjacent flange 36 of the latch plate 28.

Pivoted to the base plate as at 37 is a latch pawl 38` comprising oppositely disposed fingers 39 and 39' which are adapted to alternately engage in the notches 34 and 35. The pawl 38 comprises an actuating head 40 which extends laterally from one side edge of the pawl and is located centrally between the fingers 39 and 39'. This head comprises opposite cam surfaces 41 and 42 which merge together at corresponding end portions at the apex 43 of the head 40.

Adapted to alternately engage the cam surface 41 and 412.is a trigger 44. This trigger 44 has a tapered head 45 at one end portion and at the opposite end portion is pivoted as at 46 to a push plate 47. The push plate 47 is arranged within a guide channel 43 carried by the base plate 23. The push platefis yieldably held in an outer position (to the left as viewed in Figs. 4 and 5) by means l of a spring 49 connected as at 50 to a cover plate 51 of end portions14 pivoted as at 15to end flanges 16 of the Y the guide channel 48 and to the push plate at its point of pivotal connection 46, to the trigger 44. In the cover plate is an elongated slot 52 for the passage of the head of the pivot 46.

A pair of spring fingers 53 are arranged in substantial parallel relationwith respect to each other and are-carried ,by a holder 54 secured to the latch plate 28. The corresponding end portions of the fingers 53 embrace a pin 55 carried by the trigger 44. Y

The latch plate 428 is held in Slidable position upon the Vguide 2'5 `by a pair `of retaining arms 56 secured as at 57 to the base plate and provided with studs 58 which extend downwardly upon the stop plate 2,8.v

`Having particular reference to Figs; 4 and 5 as viewed in Fig'. 4 push plate 47 is shown in its extreme outer position with the latch pawl 38 pivoted in adirection to' dispose its nger 39 in theadjacent notches 34iand 35. When the latch pawl isthus disposed, the latch plate 28 will be held against movement relative to the guide channel 25 and the ejector rack 13 will be held against pivotal movement in a direction to the left'as viewedrin Fig. 3 by the weight of the bottle 17 there against. Such bottle 17 will be resting upon the separator bar 20.

As viewed in Figs. land 2': the'push plate 47' has been moved inwardly bringing the trigger 44 in bearing rela# tion with the adjacent cam surface 42 of the latch pawl 38, thus effecting the pivotal movement of the latch plate to the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Upon release, the push plate returns to its outermost position under the action of the spring 52 and the trigger 44 is pivoted by the springs 53 to the position shown in Fig. 4 with the tapered end portion of the trigger in line to engage the cam surface 41 topivot the latch pawl from the position shown in Fig. to the position inFig. 4. Opposite pivotal movement of the trigger latch is accomplished by the engagement of the trigger 44-with the cam surface whereupon inward movement of the push plate will bear the trigger against the cam 42 and pivot the trigger latch from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that of Fig. 5 with the finger 39 ofthe trigger engaging the adjacent notches 34 and 35. In this position the ejecting rack has been pivoted from the full line position shown in Fig. 3 to permit the passage of the bottle 19 from the rack with the` bottle 18 resting upon the separating bar 20. The pivotal movement of the rack 13 is permitted during the oscillation of the trigger linger from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 5 prior to the engagement of the linger 39 and 39 with respective notches 34 and 35.

The function of the spring fingers 53 is to locate the trigger 44 in its proper position for engagement with the adjacent cam of the trigger whereby to effect the oscillation of that trigger for the purpose herein stated.

The push plate is provided with a'connecting element 59 to which an operating element (not shown), controlled by a coin-control mechanism may be attached when the vending of the bottles is to take place only upon the proper deposit of a coin. Y

The use of my invention in a bottle Vending machine results in positive dispensing successively of a large number of bottles arranged in the bottle mechanism.

In such bottle machine, there may be any number of bottle magazines such as indicated at each controlled by its individual bottle vending mechanism. In this way the bottles containing various carbonated drinks may be vended.

The efiiciency ofmy improved bottle vending mechanism will be appreciated from the foregoing description.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A bottle vending machine comprising a bottle magazine having an open bottom, said magazine beingl of a f width greater than the diameter of a single bottle but less than the combined diameter of two bottles so that a plurality of bottles may be housed therein in a horizontal plane and in a staggered vertical relation with respect to each other, an ejector rack pivotally' carried by said magazine at the open bottom thereof and normally pivoted in an angular position with respect thereto so as to receive and house the lowermost bottle of said staggered plurality of bottles, a stationary separating member beneath said rack and extending in a vertical direction through a centerline of the said rack and lengthwise thereof for cooperating with said rack to support and release from alternate sides thereof the lowermost bottle when said rack is pivoted into an oppositely extending angular position relative to said magazine and said separating member, a latch plate pivotally connected to said rack and adapted to reciprocally pivot said, rack relative to the open bottom of said magazine, a pivotal latch means for releasably latching said latch plate and said rack against pivotalr movement relativeto said as Y' 4 Y magazine, latch releasing means for pivoting said pivotal latch means out of latching position with respect to said latch plate so as to permit said rack under the weight of the lowermost bottle to pivot in one direction away from said stationary separating member so as to permit said lowermost bottle to pass out of said rack, and for pivoting said pivoted latchmeans into a successive latching position with respect to said latch plate so as to prevent pivotal movement of said rack in an opposite direction with respect to said stationary separating member to prevent the releasing of the next succeeding bottle from said magazine, spring lingers carried by said latch plate and operatively connected to said latch releasing means for positioning said latch releasing means relative to said pivotal latch means for determining the direction of pivot thereof so as to alternately release bottles from either side of said stationary separating member.

2. A bottle vending machine comprising a bottle magazine having an open bottom, said magazine being of a width greater than the diameter of a single bottle but less than the combined diameter of two bottles so that a plurality of bottles may be housed therein in a horizontal plane and in a staggered vertical relation with respect to each other, an ejector rack pivotally carried by said magazine at the open bottom thereof and normally pivoted in an angular position with respect thereto so as to receive and house the lowermost bottle of said staggered plurality of bottles, a stationary separating member beneath saidrack and extending in a vertical direction through a centerline of the said rack and lengthwise thereof for cooperating with said rack to support and release from alternate sides thereof the lowermost bottle when said rack is pivoted into an oppositely extending angular position relative to said magazine and said separating member, a latch plate pivotally connected to said rack and adapted to reciprocally pivot said rack relative to the open bottom of said magazine, a pivotal latch means for releasably latching said latch plate and said rack against pivotal movement relative to said magazine, latch releasing means for pivoting said pivotal latch means out of latching position with respect to said latch plate so as to permit said rack under the weight of the lowermost bottle to pivot in 'one direction away froml said stationary separating member solas to permit said lowermost bottle to pass outl of said rack, and for pivoting said pivotal latch means into a successive latching position with respect to said latchplate so as to prevent pivotal movement of said rack in an opposite direction with respect to said stationary separating member to prevent the releasing of the next succeeding bottle from said magazine, spring fingers carried by said latch plate and operatively connected to said latch releasing means for positioning said latch releasing means relative to said pivotal latch means for determining the direction of pivot thereof so as to alternately release bottles from either side of said stationary separating member, said latch releasing means including a.slidable member provided at one end with a trigger, means pivotally mounting said trigger on' one end of said slidable member for pivotal movement rela- Ytive theretor about a vertical axis, and means for operatively connecting'said trigger to said spring lingers for pivoting said trigger through a horizontal plane into engagement with said pivotal latch means for pivoting the -same out of and into latching position with respect to the latch plate.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

